Suit and method of making



SUIT AND MET 0000000000 NG Pa.tented Jan. 15, 1946 SUIT AND METHOD OF MAKING Ralph 0. Martin, Cuyahoga Falls, hio, assgnor te Wngfoot Corporaton, Akron, Oho, a eerporation of Delaware Applieaten September 15, 1943, Serial No. 502,509

6 Claims.

Ths invention relates to an accordionpleatecl tube, such as an accordion-like arm or leg, etc. for a pressure suit, and includes the method of manufacturing the same. Accordion-like members are known in the art. Strap tension membe1s er the like have been fastened on each side of sueh accordions te limit their longitudinal expansion While permitting them to be fiexed transverse the plane which passes through bot-h of the tension members. In the manufacture of the leg of such a suit, for example, one steel cable has been run en the outside of the leg and another on the inside so that the leg may easily be flexed at the knee.

Accordng to this invention, the. fabric used in making the suits is a fabrc which has been rubberized or treated with another eurable plastic, and it is cured so as to be permanently set in the shape of the aecordion pleats. In forming the aceordon pleats, restraining hoops or grommets are slipped over a tube of the fabric and fastened at spaced intervals. Tl1en the tube is inflated, and it bulges out between the hoops. The heatsoftening of the rubber during cure permits a reshifting of the thread angles in the areas of the fabric between the hoops, and on completing the vulcanization, the rubber and fabric become set in the accordion-like pattern.

The invention will be further described in een nection with the accompanying drawing. Fig. 1 shows in perspective a tube of the two-ply, pickless fabriefrom which the aceordion-pleated section is to be formed, with a portion of the outer ply breken away. Fig. 2 is a side view, and Fig. 3 is a seetional view of the accordion-pleated member.

Originally, the cords in the tube make an angle appreciably less than 54 44 with the straight line AB which is parallel to the axis of the tube. Ths is shown in Fig. 1. Instead of forming the tube of two plies of pickless fabric placed at an angle to one another, as illustrated, it may be made of square-woven fabric, such as basket weave, etc.

A tube in which the cords make an angle of less than 54 44' with the axis is unstable when inflated. On infiation, such a tubetends to increase in diameter and shorten in length. The tendency to increase in diameter and shorten in length decreases as the angle approaches 54 44'. At this angle there is no longer any tendency t increase in diameter or shorten in length on iniiation of the tubes. If the cords lie at a greater angle than this to the axis, there is a tendency ter the tube todecrease in diameter and increase in length when inflated.

In producng the sleeve of ths invention, a tube is ndanufactured in which the angle is considerably less than 54 44'. The abric is ceated with rubber or some equivalent plastic which sets on curing. Betere curing, hoops 2 are slipped over the tube and are held in place by gum strps,:tape or sewing.

When the loops have been iastened in plane; the uncured fabric is inflated. Ths causes the portbiis 3 of the tube between the hoops 2 te increase in diameterand shorten in length. When the fabric is warmed during the initial portion of the cure, the plastic softens, and the cords shift in such a way as to increase the angle between them and a line parallel with the axs of the tube. The increase is greatest at the md points between the h00ps and gradually lessens as the cords approach the hoops. The angle never becomes greater than 54 44' at the md pointe. The cure is then cempleted, and the cords become permanently set in this new relation.

The space between the hoops or grommets may vary, but, in general, a distance of about 2 or 3 inches between them will prove satsfactory. After curing, a member made in this manner will be found stable to inflation forces and will have the desired accordien-like action. Tubes formed in this manner are satisfaetory for use as arms er lege in a pressure suit. If a nenstretchable member; such as a wire, is unted to each ofthe hoops en each .side of the member or to the abricat the md points between the hoops where the diameter is greatest, or if these points are united by straps of elastc material, it will be found that the resulting member may easily be bent transverse the plane which passes through the two restraining members and that after bending, the member may easily be straightened out again.

What I claim is:

1. The method of producing a rubber-coated, accordion-pleated. tube which c0mprises spaclng hoops around a tube of fabrie in which the textile elements make an angle appreciably less than 54 44' with the axis of the tube, the iabrc be ing coated with uncured rubber or the like, inflating the tube and softening the rubber by heating, thus permitting the textile elements between the hoops to shift s0 that near the md polnts between the hoops the angle is appreciably inereased, and then curng the rubber to cause it to take a permanent set.

2. The method, of producing a tubular memspaced points along its length, inflating the tubular member causing the fabrc t balloon slightly between the several restrictions, warming the tubular member while inflated to soften the plastic bonding material thereby enabling the textle elements to readjust themselves by increasng ther angular relationshlp wlth respect to the aXs of the tubular member w'hereby the tendency of the tubular member te increase in dlameter and sherten in length when inflated is mnimized, and thereafter causng the plastic material to assume a permanent set.

3. The method of prodclng a tubular member for an inflatable pressure sut and the like formed of a plurality of superposed plles of fabrc in which the textle elements are bonded together by uncured rubber ancl arranged at an acute angle to the axis of the tubular member, accordng to which the resulting tubular member wl1 be both laterally and longitudnally stable upon inflation, sad method ncluclng the steps of enclrclingthe generally tubular member with a plurality of substantially equally spaced restricting means, nflatng the tublar member aganst the restrcting means, heatng the tubularmember while inflated to soften the.rubber employed in bondng the textle elementsof the fabric together thereby permittng said textlle elements between the restrictng means to readjust themselves so that theangle formeel between sad textlle elements and the axis of the tubular member is increased near the mdpoints between the restrcting means mlnmzing the tendency of the tubular member te increase in diameter and shorten in length when nfiated, and thereafter curing the tubular memberuntil the rubber bonding materal assumes a permanent set.

4. As an artcle of manufacture a porton of an nflatable pressure sut and the lke embody ing a tubu1ar member characterzed by maxtogether by means of a heat softenable plastic material, said fahric havlng formed therein a plurality of accordon pleats arranged adjacent each other and extendng circumfeientially of the tubular member, and a plurality of restrictng means encrclng the tubular member, said restricting means belng disposed in substantially equally.spacedrelation axially thereof to define the accordqn pleats wthin each of which the angular relationship of the cords comprsng the fabric with respect to the axis of the tubular member is greater at the midpont than at the extremties thereof and is maintained by the settng 01 the plastic bonding material.

5As an article of manufacture, a generally tubular member Which possesses flexibilty as well as both lateral and longitudlnal stability under inflation, said tubular member comprlsing a plumum flexiblty and a minimum of lateral and longltudinal growth under nflaton, sald tubular member comprislng at lea'st one ply of fabric in whch the textile elements or cords are bonded r ality of superposed ples of fabrc in each of Whch the textile elements or cords are bonded together in substantally parallel relation by means of-a heat softenable plastic materal and havlnga plurality of restricting means disposed about the outer perphery of the tubular memher, said restrictng means being arranged in substantally equally spaced relation axially thereof to deflne in thetubular member a plurality of accordion pleats in whch the angular relationshp of the cords comprsng the fabrc with respect to the axis of the tubular member is less adjacent the restrctng means than that in the intermediate portions of the fabric and is prevented from readjustment by the setting of the plastic material.

6. As an artcl of manufacture, a generally tubular member which possesses flexibility as well asboth lateral and longtudnal stability under lnfiaton, sad. tubular member comprising Superposed ples of plckless rubberzed fabrlc in which the textile elements or cords are bonded t0gether solely by uncurecl rubber compouncl, and a. pluralty of annular means arranged in substantially equally spaced relation extending axially of sad tubular member and defining a plurality of accordlon pleats wthn each of which the angular relatonship cf the cords comprsing th fabrc wth respect to the axs of the tubular member is no greater than 54 44' intermediate the spaced annular means and appreciably less than 54 44' adjacent said annular means, said relatonship being mantained by the cured rubber compound.

R. C. MARTIN. 

